Carole Feuerman “Hero and Leander”
C24 Gallery
[Image: Carole Feuerman "Leda and the Swan" (2015) lacquer on resin 42 x 90 x 80 in.]
This event has ended.
C24 Gallery presents Hero and Leander, a solo exhibition featuring a new body of work by C24 Gallery artist and hyperrealist, Carole Feuerman.
The exhibition takes it’s title from Hero and Leander, a Greek mythological story of Hero, a priestess of Aphrodite who lived in a tower off a waterway, and Leander, a young man from the opposite side of the strait. Leander fell in love with Hero. Every night, he swam the waterway to be with her. Hero would light a lamp at the top of her tower to guide his way. These trysts lasted through one warm summer until on a stormy winter night, violent waves tossed Leander in the sea and the breezes from the storm blew out Hero’s light. Leander lost his way and was drowned. When Hero saw Leander’s body, she threw herself over the edge of the tower to be with him in death.
Two new monumental bronze sculptures, Monumental Dancer and Beyond the Golden Mean will debut in this exhibition representing the story of Hero and Leander. Appearing amongst these two significant figures will be a thirty-foot interactive video by Michelangelo Bastiani.
Leda and the Swan will be one of the highlights in this exhibition having just returned from the 2015 Venice Biennale. Outfitted in a 1920’s bathing suit, the resin sculpture depicts a reinterpretation of the classic Greek tale of Leda. According to the myth, Zeus seduces Leda while disguised as a swan, and Leda bears Helen of Troy from this encounter. In Feuerman’s own words, the sculpture “embraces the eroticism associated with much of Greek mythology, while telling the story of deceit and treachery.” Leda is an important figure as a wife and mother.
Another feature in this exhibition is Durga Ma, inspired by the Hindu goddess Durga. The bronze figure sits in complete tranquility on a sacred lotus flower. She is the symbol of birth, rebirth and survival, which is a common theme present in much of Feuerman’s work. The lotus flower can live for over a thousand years and along with Durga’s universal powers, she can withstand all that the world throws her way.
Feuerman’s works explore classicism while presenting common themes that occur in our every day lives. Some of these powerful stories are experiences the artist has encountered in her own life, and she feels compelled to tell them as we all struggle to overcome similar personal obstacles. Evoking inward emotions, Feuerman invites the spectator to identify with the narrative before them. Swimming and water have fascinated the artist all of her life as she has always been captivated how delicate water droplets form patterns over her skin after a swim.
Carole A. Feuerman is recognized as a pioneering figure in the world of hyperrealist sculpture. Dubbed ‘the reigning doyenne of super-realism’ by art historian John T. Spike, Feuerman’s prolific career over four decades has solidified her place in the rhetoric of art history. She has been the subject of six museum retrospectives to date. Her works continue to be exhibited worldwide. In Italy, she has exhibited in four of the Venice Biennales, the Piazza della Repubblica, and the Teatro Romano e Museum Civico in Fiesole. In Asia, she has exhibited in Harbour City; Hong Kong, The National Museum of China, Shanghai, and the Daejeon Museum and Suwon Museums in Korea. Numerous public sculptures have appeared in outdoor venues, including Petrosino Square in New York City and the Frederik Meijer Sculpture Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan. One of Feuerman’s most recognizable pieces, “The Golden Mean,” can be seen in Riverfront Green Park overlooking the Hudson River and is owned by the City of Peekskill, NY. Her “Monumental Double Diver” is owned by the City of Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, California. In 2011, she founded the Carole A. Feuerman Sculpture Foundation in order to generate excitement, interest and passion for the arts and to inspire and award deserving artists with education grants. Her selected private collectors include the Emperor of Japan, President William & Hillary Clinton, Norman Brahman, the Caldic Collection, Mark Parker, Andrey Molchanov, Unlu Menkul Degerler, Ariella Wertheimer, Robert Hurst, and Malcolm Forbes.
Media
Schedule
from May 06, 2016 to June 25, 2016
Opening Reception on 2016-05-06 from 18:00 to 20:00